Through the Storm
by Scritcher
Summary: It’s a living nightmare for Serenity and Tristan. Tristan’s live is in tatters, Serenity has to put up with Duke's flirting, Joey refuses to see their true love, and now Serenity’s father is back, and on the war path. Ardentshipping SerenityxTristan


**MONDAY**

Serenity walked into school with her brother Joey. He held her shoulders tight. They looked sufficiently unlike each other to think he was her boyfriend. Really if Serenity did have one, Joey would kill them.  
"Joe, Ser! Wait up!" someone called. She turned. A tall brunette boy loped ungainly over to them, limping on his left leg. His hair was spiked up into a single gravity defying point over his handsome face. Serenity smiled at Tristan. He smiled back. His eyes made her heart beat faster then usual. Not only because they were a gorgeous hazel colour, but they seamed to be holding something he couldn't say. They had had strong feelings for each other for a long time. Tristan touched Serenity's hand, inviting her to take his. Joey's eyes narrowed. He didn't like anyone flirting with Serenity, especially Tristan.  
"Come on, there's the others," he said, just before they got any closer.

Duke smiled at Serenity as she reached the gang. She saw Tristan give him a warning glare. She was standing close enough to him to hear his growl. She sighed. She liked Duke allot, but not in the same way she liked Tristan. Tea, who currently had a crush on Duke (one of my weirder fantasies), gave her a look that could stun an elephant (they used to fight over Tristan, poor guy!), but Serenity was not an elephant. She gazed calmly back at her. _Tea, if you want Duke you're more than welcome to him! I'd actuallly be grateful if you could get him to leave off! _Tea looked shocked. Serenity was psychic. She raised her eyebrows in a 'on you go' manner. The bell rang.

Tristan sat alone in the dinner hall. He gazed into space, dreaming of his own little sister. Kaykay had presumably died in a plane crash, the same one that left him crippled. He felt something brush against his face.  
"Earth to Tristan, anybody there?" He looked up. Serenity's hair was touching his face. The girl had managed to get rid of her brother. She sat down beside him. He smiled. Serenity reached under the table for his hand. Her fingers brushed across his. Tristan curled his fingers round hers.  
"Thinking about Kaykay?" she asked. He nodded. She squeezed his hand gently.  
"How's home life?" she asked. Tristan sighed. _Terrible. Mam's on crack and thinks I'm a punchbag.  
_"It's OK." Serenity looked over his shoulder. Joey was watching them suspiciously.  
"Let me see your hand," she said. She took a pale blue pen from her pocket. Tristan put his right hand on the table. Serenity wrote a number on it, 08567239573.  
"Call me if you need me," she said. Then she got up, kissing Tristan's cheek. He blushed furiously. He watched her go over to her brother. Joey was glaring at him. _Great, I'm probably gonna get beat up after school now._

It was the last class of the day. Serenity was unlucky enough to have it in the same corridor as Duke. She saw him coming towards her and looked about for an escape route. _Damn, there isn't one!_ The boy grabbed her arm as she was trying to get away by getting lost in the crowds of chattering people leaving.  
"Hey Ser," he whispered, his voice, soft like a lover's. There was something different in his green eyes. Something he wanted. Serenity pulled her arm lose.  
"Did you want something?" she asked pleasently.  
"Yeah, the school dance next week," he said. "You taken?" Serenity saw Tristan over the crowds. _I will be._  
"Yup sorry!" she said. Duke shrugged and grunted. He flounced off down the corridor. She picked up a very powerful thought from him. _We'll see about that._

Serenity strapped on her roller-skates to go home. As she rolled out of the wheel-park, she saw a terribly familiar car driving past. _Oh not him! Not now! _Memories came back, of cowering in the corner of the bedroom with Joey, trying not to scream when the belt or bottle hit them. She was dreading going home.

Tristan creapt into bed wincing. He reached to the picture on his bedside table. Serenity's kind green eyes seamed to look into his. The slightly younger Tristan in the picture hugging her was fully healthy. His leg wasn't twisted and he looked much stronger. He remembered with a sad smile the way Sery used to really need him. She had grown up a lot, she took care of him mostly now. He found himself half-wishing she still needed him as desperatly.


End file.
